Victims of loose management

LIKE never before, my country is changing so fast and seemingly on the right path toward development. Also we can see a lot headline news that come positive about our nation by world's community. Our lawmakers are enjoying oversea trips offered by several government that they couldn't imagine few years ago. The new relationship between my country and the rest of the world is apparent so close now. As our country was isolated by international community previously under military junta, the current change is beyond the expected pace. How do we transform the momentum to opportunity will dearly depend on the quality of our leadership.

The domestic media are busying with catching news for its customers. The policies keep changing as a sign of immature parliament/policy makers. Some change bring goodness for people while other put additional burden on public. The handful of top leaders are hungry with changing democratic environment while lower ranks seems struggling to complement with the latest condition. The people are having an environment that they never had before. It has not been surprise to see labour strikes here and there, mostly happening in the industrial zones. Our laborers are the cheapest in the region and they don't have labor union to protect their benefit. So does labor authority to look after their welfare. As pioneer strike has shown a successful campaign, the other repressive labors follow the step.

It's appalling to learn their daily wages and working hours. I am really sympathized to see their plight. It's obvious that Thailand and China investors are taking advantage from the weak points of our labor laws as well as corrupted official. Fortunately, there are few labor activist to stand from the side of inferior labors. I am happy to read the successful news of labor strike following long term battle which is impossible in new past time. It's important for me to understand actual situation of what's happening in my country as I intend to return home sooner than later. Generally, it's recommended way for migrant workers to return home now because there has never been as good as today. May our community able to rise together with current democratic transition process.

We miss you, too

A WEEK after my daughter return home, we got a successful call to my sister who guardian my daughter. We're glad to know that their return journey back home was smooth. There wasn't travel sick and now well settling in home town. As per my sister, my daughter return her room straight away and stay at her room alone. The neighbors are surprising with the way my daughter behave after return from oversea trip. They notice that she became quiet person and stingy on her properties such as toys. Previously, she enjoy to visit neighbor houses alone. After visiting parent, she don't want to go out of her room. She would ask her nanny retired couple to switch on her digital album.

In order not to forget stay-away parent, we bought a digital album to let her see us through photos. We gave it to her as one year old Birthday present. At one year, she didn't aware so much about the digital photo frame while she loves to open conventional hard copy album. We uploaded new photos during her April trip here. As she is now one year and nine month, she started to recognize parent more than before. She would explain her nanny couple when digital album is running on display. In lure of her attention, we saved only family photos in her digital album. Thus, she would explain to surround people that this is Dad, Mum & Myself as the photo come out by slide.

My sister told me that she also frequently ask her to borrow mobile to call Dad. As my sister is a teacher, she is good at reading a person's attitude. She is surprise to learn our daughter's changing behavior in daily basis. We thought, she is too young to feel missing parent at her age. But the sign show she is missing her parent as we were suddenly departed each other after staying together one month here. We had a good family time during April and hope she also felt the same either. She would pick up hand phone and tell "hello Daddy". What a sad sense is it for people around? 

We're feeling sad as well when being told by my sister. My wife was struggling to control her tear from eyes. I understand the feeling of a mother if it's not easy emotion for a Dad. My wife urged me when are we going to return home so that we can live together with our princess. A question hard to answer at the moment while I could give general answer to console her. To be honest, we can't afford to return home both suddenly before we carefully make a plan. My daughter will be two year in coming mid July and we target to return home when she reaches school-going age by latest. We don't let her suffer due to us. We believe there is a will there would be a way. And we looking for that day. Dear our little princess, we also miss you too.

Me & Casino

SECOND time within a month, yesterday I reached to Marina Bay Casino again. MBS has quickly become tourist hot spot in lion city. My first ever visit to the same casino was in Happy New Year 2012 following cancellation of Batam trip with my friend. I have read a lot about MBS on newspaper articles. It was amazingly decorated to lure greedy people. On its inaugural opening, curious Singaporean remark that it is beyond expectation and much better than regional giant RWS casino that is operated by genting group. No wonder why they rate maximum when I witness it on my first visit into casino.

Last month, my family is here and I brought them there for just knowledge. I don't know how to bet/gamble. Thus, only able to learn what kind of people are gambling and how do they acting there. The atmosphere is incredible and facilities for customers are unrivaled. May be half of customers are tourists while the rest compose of locals and foreign workers. I think old people are more than younger counterparts. I see retire-age people who are gambling. No wonder, Singapore government is concern with the rapid settlement of Casino business. Singapore's casino is as young as over 1 year old. But it has passed Las Vegas to take second in the casino revenue world's ranking, just Macau is ahead to overtake. 

Yesternight, the situation urged me to go MBS casino again. This time for my Chinese friend who come to republic for visiting. He is a young rich man who is curious on new things. He has sharp eyes on things around. He said, almost everything he sees here make him wow. He is surprising to see world class infra-structure at Marina Bay Sand vicinity. I was busying with explaining his continuous queries. He is witnessing Singapore's development and keep comparing with our country's status. He is taking photograph with his mobile camera for memory around. Sometime he would record video with the same gadget. We return hotel after enjoying MBS's dancing water-fountain show at 9:45pm. Day 1 has gone for my friend and hope he finds this holiday is worth for his money.

Live in scarce-land

DEAR my daughter, you have explored lion city for 30 days right now. It is obvious that something here you may like while you may not like other. As you witness here during your stay, we have to restrain living 5 persons together in a relatively small room. It may be a bit strange to you as you are living alone in a bigger room in your home town. For us, we are used to it as Singapore is land scarce nation and one of the most expensive countries to live in all over the world. There are other things that republic scarce. Some are natural resource scarce, water-scarce, people-scarce, now feeling baby-scarce, etc. In the wake of global recession, now job also scare for non-resident, my dear. Then you may want to ask for why we are trying to stay here if almost everything scarce. Yes, we try as it's worth staying and working here right now than our country. We'll return home once there are job opportunities arisen. We can smell some of it now and believe our home-coming time is coming in the pipeline. We'll seek any chance to return home with the prospect of living together with you.

Less green-pasture

LAST couple months, my sister in-law tried to get headhunted here. We have supported all the ways we able and she has tried her best. Unfortunately, she even failed to get employment offer for her couple months tireless effort. She got few unsuccessful interviews during her stay here. Perhaps, she has come here in the wrong time. These days, there have been so much voices with regard to wages, inflation, rising living cost, retrenchment, fire, etc. Moreover, we are hearing that more and more fellow citizen are returning home following fail mission. Are we starting to feel some heat from the down trending global economy? No wonder, a country like Singapore will affect swiftly as she is trade-dependent nation.

My sister eventually realize that she may not land a job here and even didn't apply job few days before return home. We also tried to contact employment agencies with the prospect of saving her mission. But we were told that there is no job vacancy for foreigner. Some agent even don't want to talk once he/she knows job seeker is not S'porean nor PR. Unable to speak English fluently nor Chinese might have ended job seeker's hope of landing a job here. Most of employers want to employ bilingual staff. Our graduates are not meeting such expectation especially in language. Hopefully, my sister could learn how difficult is it to get a job oversea. She may have thought it would be easy to find a job here. For some, it may have gone easy find while other find it impossible mission.

Ask myself how guarantee is it with my job. Nothing. I also could be sacked at any given time. Since we are visitor here, it is not realistic to expect living here permanently. My sister case alarm not only her but ourselves. We have to prepare to accept any falsifying scenario. Otherwise, we would suffer more than it is. In realistic, Singapore is no longer green pasture. It's shrinking more than analysts are expecting. May all migrant workers able to return home gracefully and comfortably.